


His Perfect World

by TwilightKnight17



Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: Gen, True Ending, alternate True Ending, golden ending, the rest of the Xillia cast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-27 01:16:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8382286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightKnight17/pseuds/TwilightKnight17
Summary: It's the end of the world, and Ludger Kresnik is done sacrificing things if he doesn't have to. His perfect world will exist whether he's there to see it or not. But he wants to be, and when his fate is to disappear anyway, he has nothing to lose.





	1. Golden Ending

The door that marked the end of Origin’s Trial was larger than Ludger had thought it would be. To be honest, he hadn’t even been picturing a door when he pictured finally concluding the Trial. More just...walking up to Origin, making his wish, and then finally taking Elle home and sleeping for a good week. But now that he was here, he wasn’t sure that that was what he wanted anymore. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to open the Door at all, because that meant one final choice, and it wasn’t a choice he was sure he could make. If he could stay just here, just in this moment before the door opened, he wouldn’t have to choose. It wouldn’t be on him. He could stay here with Elle cradled in his lap for the rest of eternity if he wanted.

But unfortunately, that wasn’t possible. If he didn’t open the door, no one would, and their world would end. It was as simple as that.

Ludger got to his feet, bringing Elle along with him, and when he noticed her stumbling slightly he simply picked her up and held her. He was sure that on a normal day she would protest and insist she wasn’t a baby that needed to be carried, but instead she just curled into his arms, settling her own arms around his neck. It was a testament to how tired they both were, that neither could come up with a comment on the situation. He was aware of the others, his friends, standing back and watching wordlessly, but he paid no attention to them, stepping forward just enough that both he and Elle could lay hands on the door.

The counter split and separated, leaving a gaping maw of void from which emerged a small, humanoid figure. Origin was entirely white, with only faintly visible features, and he spoke with the voice of a child when he said, “Congratulations, Scions of Kresnik, for completing the Trial. Ludger and Elle, for making it this far and opening the door, you have earned one wish. But you must decide together.”

Ludger glanced down at Elle, who was staring at Origin in fascination. He was different from the spirits they had met previously. Many had appeared significantly humanlike, even if they had wings or blades or other obviously inhuman attributes. But Origin, despite lacking any such embellishments, was somehow the most alien of them all.

The childlike voice continued, “My power can do whatever you wish. I can destroy the fractured dimensions, or even cure her of her transformation into a catalyst.”

“No,” Elle said weakly, shifting her gaze to look up at Ludger. “You have to get rid of the fractured dimensions. We got all the way here…”

Ludger just clutched her tighter, willing the world to stop. He had three choices, and he didn’t like any of them. 

He could wish away the dimensions, easily, do the right thing and save the world and one day have a daughter just like Elle. But she wouldn’t be the same, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to bring a child into the world as a replacement for the one that he truly wanted. He had never even envisioned himself as a parent before this mess began, but now he couldn’t imagine losing this child. _His daughter._

He could wish away the dimensions and become a catalyst before Elle did. She would survive, but would she be all right, seeing her father die in front of her twice? He didn’t even know if she thought of him in that way, but he knew that she loved him. Even if he could trust his friends to take care of her, would he break her with that kind of grief a second time, so soon?

He could wish to save Elle, the world be damned. The fractured dimensions would continue, but he had won the Trial. No matter how many more formed, the world would not end with the ticking of the counter, and they would have time to figure something else out before the miasma became too much. But he doubted his friends would allow that. They had already shown that they had been willing to do whatever it took to reach Canaan, in Rieze Harbor. He could easily picture them refusing to allow him to use his wish so selfishly.

It wasn’t fair. After all of this, everything he had done, it still wasn’t fair. It had been a week since his brother died in Rieze Harbor and he hadn’t even had time to grieve. Nothing had stopped moving long enough since. Rowen had gotten kidnapped and Sharilton had been under attack and they’d had to attempt some sort of rough map of Canaan so that they didn’t choke on the miasma before they got to the end. It was the end of the world and he’d only been back to his apartment once since Julius died, and it was there he’d broken down. But that wasn’t grief, that wasn’t mourning, it was just release and decompression. Sobbing until his head ached and his eyes were so puffy that he was sure they’d never be right again. And once he’d slept it had definitely felt like less pressure behind his eyes, but that was just because he’d run out of tears.

“L-Ludger?”

He was jolted out of his spiralling thoughts by Elle’s voice, and he realized he was probably squeezing her too hard. He offered her an apologetic glance, but was then once against distracted by Origin asking, “Have you decided on your wish?”

Ludger lifted his head to stare at the spirit, his thoughts strangely calm now. Origin was bound by the Trial to grant a wish; even if he made the Great Spirit mad, the wish would still be there. Elle could wish, if it came down to it. Because Ludger was tired. Tired of sadistic choices and tired of loss and tired of everything.

It was the end of the world, and Ludger didn’t care anymore.

“This is cruel,” he said as answer, and Origin’s mouth turned downwards in a confused frown.

“Cruel?” Chronos demanded, and to be honest Ludger had forgotten him, wounded and pinned by the remnants of Bisley’s attack. “You can stand there, after everything humans have put Origin through, and dare call him cruel when he is still offering a wish you do not deserve?”

“Chronos,” Origin said quietly, and the other spirit fell silent, his wounds beginning to heal at last under Origin’s influence. Origin turned back to Ludger, asking only, “How so?”

Ludger took a deep breath. “I’ve lost everything. I lost my life, my job, my freedom, my _brother_ , just to get here, and now you’re asking me to give up something else? I _won_ ,” and the word was practically a sob. “I won, and we’re the only ones left, and I don’t want to leave her alone. I _can’t_ make this choice.”

Elle clung harder to his shirt at the realization that he would have given himself so that she could live. Ludger glanced behind him, at the rest of their friends. The one thing that stood out amongst confused and worried glances was Alvin, who was wearing an expression that clearly said, _Ludger, don’t fight the Void._

But he would. It was a sobering realization, but he had killed entire worlds, he had fought Great Spirits, and he had even killed himself. One of the Prime Spirits was just another step forward, and if that was what it took to earn another wish and make sure he and Elle were safe and happy, he would fight the Great Spirit of the Void.

He turned back to Origin, just waiting for a response, but was startled when Milla suddenly appeared at his side. Belatedly he remembered that she was a Prime Spirit as well, and for a moment a flicker of anxiety welled up that she would turn on him, and take Origin and Chronos’s side. But she laid a hand on his shoulder, overtop of Elle’s, and said, “There are two of them, Origin. Two Kresniks made it to the end of the Trial, and neither could have gotten here without the other. Is it too much to ask for a wish for both?”

Origin’s barely-visible lips curled into a smile. “Maxwell, you really do love humans, don’t you?” he asked. Milla didn’t move, just stared at him, and finally he relented. “Very well. Ludger Kresnik, you who have sacrificed so much to get here, I will grant your wish. The girl will be saved. And Elle Mel Marta, I will grant your wish. The fractured dimensions will disappear.”

Ludger didn’t trust himself to move, or speak, or even breathe. There was a flare of light, and the air around Canaan seemed to clear as the fractured dimensions and their miasma disappeared for good. He could hear Origin and Chronos saying that they would continue purifying the miasma of the prime dimension, but they sounded distant, as if they were a million miles away. His attention was only for Elle. Elle, who was beaming up at him with two tearful celadon eyes, all traces of the catalyst gone from her skin.

“L-Ludger…!” She buried her face in his collar and began to sob, and he just held her tightly, pressing his cheek to the top of her head. They had both survived this. It was a miracle, and some part of him was still terrified that he was going to wake up. All he could do was turn to Milla, and grasp her hand with the one not supporting Elle, and hope that all of his gratitude could be seen in his eyes.


	2. Golden Future

Marksburg looked almost alien after the hours that they had spent navigating the strangeness of Canaan's landscape. As they stepped free of the soul bridge, it slowly faded away, along with Canaan itself. The eerie pink glow disappeared, and Rieze Harbor went back to looking normal at last.

The eight humans stood in silence for a moment once all trace of Canaan was finally gone. Milla and Muzet had departed for the spirit realm, and now it was time for them to return home as well, to normal lives and routines, as impossible as it seemed.

It was unanimously decided that they would at least all head back to Trigleph together, since most of the group would be going there anyway. But as they headed to the train station, Ludger stumbled, nearly falling over entirely. Fortunately, Alvin was there to grab Elle, and Jude caught Ludger before he could drop to the pavement. "Are you all right?"

Ludger nodded. "Just...tired," he said. And for once, he was being completely honest. All of his exhaustion was finally catching up to him, now that everything was over and he had space to feel it.

Jude patted his shoulder. "You can nap on the train. C'mon, it's just a little farther."

Somehow he managed to stumble through purchasing tickets and finding a seat, and Elle, despite her own tiredness, wiggled away from Alvin to find a seat next to him. He was asleep practically before the train left the station, and Elle wasn't far behind, dozing off with her head in his lap.

There was peace and quiet for about ten minutes, and then Alvin got up, stealthily swiping Ludger's GHS and opening it up.

"Alvin, what are you doing?" Elize said in a scandalized whisper. "Leave his GHS alone!"

"Shh. It's fine, kiddo. You'll see." He went back over to sit with Rowen and Gaius, who leaned over to check the screen as well. Jude and Leia watched curiously, unwilling to make a scene, while Elize folded her arms and frowned disapprovingly. Eventually Gaius excused himself to make a call, Rowen followed behind him, and Alvin returned Ludger's GHS to his pocket. "Ludger's racked up a lot of money. I'm pretty impressed."

Jude frowned. "Well, yeah. All those jobs, all those elite monster rewards, the paychecks from Spirius... It's too bad all of it went to the bank."

Alvin smiled enigmatically. "We'll see if that holds true."

"What are you up to?" Now Leia looked as suspicious as Elize, and Alvin waved his hands defensively.

"I'm just saying. Things can only go up from here."

It wasn't a satisfying answer, but they let it drop, not wanting to wake Ludger or Elle by accident. The pair remained asleep the remainder of the ride to Trigleph, but when the train pulled into the station, Ludger stirred and rubbed his eyes. Elle woke up long enough to insist she didn't need to be carried, but dozed off again almost immediately when Ludger ignored her and scooped her up again. It wasn't just that she needed sleep; he was afraid to let her go for too long. Part of him was still waiting for her to disappear. But they made it all the way back to the apartment, where he tucked Elle into his bed and then returned to the living room to see off the rest of his friends.

"Alvin and I are going to crash in Balan's apartment for the night," Jude explained, when Ludger asked if they were going to stay. "So if you need anything, we'll be right nearby. Not that you don't have all of our numbers, but still."

"And I'm gonna be at my apartment over on Technology Drive, so I'll be here too!" Leia chimed in.

"Thank you," Ludger murmured, pulling out the GHS out of habit to double-check his contacts. "What about you three?" he asked, glancing at Gaius, Rowen, and Elize.

Rowen smiled. "We will be staying at the inn, and leaving tomorrow to escort Miss Elize back to Sharilton. But we, as well, are only a call away."

It was crazy to think that he had the king and prime minister of Rieze Maxia on speed-dial, but crazier things had happened so far. Ludger nodded along in acknowledgement, clicking over to the banking application to check his remaining balance. It had been sixteen million gald last time he looked, which was over a week ago. He was genuinely surprised Nova hadn't called in the middle of that last battle in Canaan, just for one last karmic punch.

He nearly dropped the phone when the application loaded. The amount he owed was nothing but zeroes, and he appeared to be three and a half million gald richer than he had been this morning. "W-What is this?" he stammered. "My debt is gone!"

Jude, Leia, and Elize showed the appropriate surprise, but the other three just looked satisfied, and Ludger stared at them, demanding an explanation with the force of his gaze.

"We might have called Spirius on your behalf," Alvin said jovially. "Surprising what can get done without Bakur as CEO. Technically that makes you CEO now, you know that?"

Ludger blinked, caught off guard. He hadn't even thought of that.

"We were planning to pay off the rest of it," Rowen said bluntly. "Gaius and I have quite a bit of wealth to our names, and there were a few other people willing to pitch in what they could. But Alvin had the idea to get them to simply cancel your debt entirely."

"But, _how?_ "

Alvin laughed. "It was a scam from the start. You got saddled with that massive amount so they'd have an excuse to track you. Spirius wanted you bad after Julius went rogue, and they wanted to keep an eye on you. " He pointed at the GHS. "There should be plenty of money in your account now. They kept 500,000 gald for the actual healing, which is probably still overpriced, but they cancelled the rest and refunded the extra. Vera and Nova were very helpful."

Ludger just kept staring at the row of zeroes in shock, before he finally sank down into one of the chairs. It was too much. It was all just too much. Was there such a thing as too many good things at one time? Apparently. He was getting whiplash from how quickly his life had done a one-eighty. He couldn't even figure out how to say thank you. How do you thank someone for turning your entire life around with a single call? For sticking with you through insanity that should have sent them running ages ago? For not giving up, even when everything seemed hopeless?

But Jude, who had become so good at reading him, seemed to understand without being told. He clasped Ludger's shoulder, and said brightly, "We'll let you rest. It's been a long... well, a long time in general. We'll see you tomorrow before Elize and the others leave."

Ludger accepted hugs from the girls and handshakes from the guys and his and Jude's fistbump from when they finished off enemies together, and then suddenly he was alone in his apartment except for Rollo and the little girl sleeping in the other room. Elle. _His daughter._

Sluggishly, he found his pajamas and put them on, turning off his GHS and setting it on the dresser. No more random calls from Nova, no more explaining why he was buying food in Hamil when he'd been in Fennmont the day before, no more anything. He was _free_. He settled into the other side of the bed, his eyes lingering on Elle's sleeping face. There were still a few things to figure out. He would probably give her Julius's room, so she could have a space of her own. And he needed to figure out if he was going to keep his job at Spirius, now that apparently he was in charge.

But all of that could wait. They were here, and they were alive, and finally, finally, it seemed like something was going right in his life. He curled around Elle protectively, the way they'd slept on nights when an inn hadn't been nearby, and let himself drift. Julius would be proud of him, he thought. Milla, too. Both of them. And he was going to follow Julius's wishes, to build his perfect world.

After all, the first piece was already here, safely in his arms.

**Author's Note:**

> So I completed the True Ending and Origin can go fuck himself. 
> 
> If he's that all-powerful, he didn't have to let things end like that. Ludger deserves to be happy, damn it. Let me fight Origin for a second wish. Me and the... two Devil's Arms I have will kick his ass.


End file.
